The Miami Marlins appeared to be the favorites in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes as of Thursday morning and the afternoon.
They even hosted a throwing session for him, and looked likely to sign him.
The pitcher owns a home in South Florida and signing for the Marlins would have made a lot of sense.
Somewhere along the way, however, the Kansas City Royals made an offer that got accepted.
The baseball universe was shocked.
Chapman, the owner of 315 career saves, is signing with the Royals for one year.
In return, he will receive $3.75 million plus other incentives based on performance.
Report: Royals add Aroldis Chapman on 1-year, $3.75M deal.✍️ https://t.co/7QLrZMQTSq pic.twitter.com/kIFEEWKW0y
— theScore (@theScore) January 19, 2023
Chapman looked lost in large chunks of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, particularly with his fastball command.
However, for the price, it made sense for the Royals to secure him.
In the unlikely event that the Royals compete in 2023, he will be a high-leverage arm.
If they don’t, which is the most likely scenario, they can always flip him at the deadline.
He had a few stellar seasons with the Yankees, yet was never a fan favorite because of several reasons.
He is generally disliked in NY.
Aroldis Chapman's Yankees tenure started with a domestic violence suspension, ended with a tattoo injury and a skipped playoff workout, and got us Gleyber Torres along the way.
Not sure there's even a word to describe how this guy's career will go down in Yankees history. pic.twitter.com/OMQesz2t6h
— Max Mannis (@MaxMannis) January 19, 2023
Though this is 100000% common knowledge, there are still some people who believe in Aroldis Chapman — I know, it’s absurd and seems damn near impossible
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) January 19, 2023
Aroldis Chapman is now on the Kansas City Royals.
Yankees fans collectively can now rejoice 🙏
— 4 Train Savages (@FourSavages) January 19, 2023
He also demanded to be included on the playoff roster, which the team didn’t like and sent him home as a result.
In any case, there is no harm in bringing in an arm who can put up a sub-3.00s ERA with a boatload of strikeouts for such a low salary (and years).
What if Aroldis Chapman has a bounce-back year? That $3M contract can be worth $20M. I know it's unlikely, but it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
IMO, the Miami Marlins missed out. They can afford to pay a contract of $3M, especially to fill a bullpen need.
— Isaac Edelman (@IsaacEdelman) January 19, 2023
The Marlins needed a bullpen arm and had a golden opportunity.
They missed it.
The Royals may or may not help him regain his level, but at his price, it doesn’t hurt to find out.
